Survival strategies of an anoxic microbial ecosystem in Lake Untersee, a potential analog for Enceladus.

Lake Untersee located in Eastern Antarctica, is a perennially ice-covered lake. At the bottom of its southern basin lies 20 m of anoxic, methane rich, stratified water, making it a good analog for Enceladus, a moon of Saturn. Here we present the first metagenomic study of this basin and detail the community composition and functional potential of the microbial communities at 92 m, 99 m depths and within the anoxic sediment. A diverse and well-populated microbial community was found, presenting the potential for Enceladus to have a diverse and abundant community. We also explored methanogenesis, sulfur metabolism, and nitrogen metabolism, given the potential presence of these compounds on Enceladus. We found an abundance of these pathways offering a variety of metabolic strategies. Additionally, the extreme conditions of the anoxic basin make it optimal for testing spaceflight technology and life detection methods for future Enceladus exploration.

Draft Genome Sequence from a Putative New Genus and Species in the Family M1A02 within the Phylum Planctomycetes, Isolated from Benthic Pinnacle Mats in Lake Untersee, Antarctica.

Here, we report the draft genome sequence for a new putative genus and species in the family M1A02 within the order Phycisphaerales. Isolated from the metagenome of a benthic pinnacle-shaped mat in the Antarctic Lake Untersee, the members of this family have been found in biofilms and freshwater environments.